| After studying about all the
Kalpanas (medicaments) from Charka Samhita to Bhaishajiya Ratnavali, we can easily subdivide the medicaments into
two classes :-
(a) Food based
(b) Drug based.
Whole Indian cuisine, may be the north Indian or the south Indian,
these all seems to be derived from the pathaya
Kalpana (food based mendicants). Below is the list
of various food items that are also included in
Indian cuisines.
Odan: -
Cooked rice
Yusha: - all the dals (cereal based Indian preparations)
Salshkuli: - poori (deep fried bread)
Raag: -fruit juice preserved by adding mustard
and mishri (candy sugar)
Shadaav: - Chatani (paste of fruit with spices)
Khad, Kamblik, Katwar, Takra
and Dadhi - these all are different category
of butte milk
Yavagu: - are cooked rice based preparations.
Apart from these, as we proceed towards the non-vegetarian segment a large variety is available in both
Charka & Susruta. Susruta offer various type of
flesh that is grilled, Roasted and boiled. Apart
from this, an Indian snacks known as Kachori is also
mentioned in
Susruta Samhita. These treaties also describe about the squash-based preparation in its primitive form as sharkara.
In Bhava prakash a clear distinction is seen in all the food based and medicinal preparations.
The specialty of soups is that it
includes all the varieties. Again all the spices
that are commonly used in Indian cuisine are also
listed in Charka Samhita, Susruta Samhita and Ashtaang samgraha.
Non vegetarian soup is known as Veshvaar that is
seasoned by various spices.
All the major varieties of medicaments from Charka
Samhita to
Bhaishajiya Ratnavali are also present in Ashtaang samgraha.
however, these were treated as medicine but but
with advent of tiome thses were included in our
food preparations. Bhava prakash put these preparations into Aahaar (Food) segment.
From Sharangdhar Samhita only specific yavagu, odan, yoosh are seen and the rest
were found to lay down the foundation of Indian cuisine.
Coming to Bhaishajiya Ratnavali, only specific food based medicaments
were left and the rest were used to enhance the
taste of the dish.
Nowadays, as the Ayurveda
methodology is catching up with the modern
advancements, the use of capsule, tablets, sugar
coated tablets and injectables are widely put into
practice. The essence of the delights of medicated
cuisine based treatment is all left in the hands
of home based food prepared by house lady.
So if you are in India and taking Indian food
remember about that the shaak (vegetable preparations), dal (cereal based preparations) all are from the old Indian classics of ayurveda.
There is also a mention of
fried dal or poori in Bhava prakash. there is also
a mentioning of intake of fatty food to maintain
the body and nourish the dhatus for healthy
living.
In this way, different varieties of food
came into existence and became the part of Indian
cuisine is actually the gift from
Bhaishajiya Kalpana.
References -
- Ashtaang Hridya, Classical text book by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Ashtaang Samgrha Classical textbook by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Bhaishajya Ratnavali Classical textbook by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Charka samhita classical textbook vol-1-2 by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Chukra dutta text tika by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Sharangdhar Samhita Classical textbook by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
- Sushrut Samhita Classical textbook vol 1,2, & 3 by Chaukhambha Surbharti Publication Vranasi India
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